Month: October 2021

There are multiple methods used for hemp extraction and a lot of confusion around whether CO2 is a “cleaner” way to extract cannabinoids. Extractors that use CO2, often make the claim that their extraction method is superior to ethanol extraction, and some even go as far as to say their CO2 extraction method is “solvent-less”. But, did you know that every CO2 extraction method uses ethanol or a similar solvent for winterization?

That’s just one of the surprising facts you’ll learn in this guide. Discover the truth behind the differences between CO2 and ethanol extraction, and find out why we choose ethanol at GVB Biopharma.

What is hemp extraction?

Hemp extraction is the process of removing desirable substances from hemp and concentrating them into usable extracts. You can extract any type of hemp or any part of the plant, but hemp buds contain the highest concentrations of cannabinoids and other desirable substances.

To remove lipid-based cannabinoids and terpenes from cannabis, a solvent must be used. This solvent essentially dissovles the cannabinol-bearing sacs (trichomes) off plant matter and collects the resulting oil in a catchment container.

This process is more complicated than it might appear. Extracting hemp entails a variety of steps, materials, tools, and skill-sets that only a qualified extractor can deliver. Even with all your ducks in a row, it’s still possible to make serious mistakes during hemp extraction.

What types of hemp extraction are there?

These days, there are close to a dozen different hemp and cannabis extraction methods. Some are so pure they don’t use any solvents at all, but only a few methods are appropriate for commercial applications.

The top three types of hemp extraction used commercially are:

1. Ethanol extraction

2. CO2 extraction

3. Hydrocarbon extraction

We’ll explore the benefits and detractors of each method in detail below.

Ethanol extraction

At this stage in cannabis science, ethanol extraction is the most efficient and reliable option available. Provided with proper evaporation and recovery protocols, ethanol extraction offers the same degree of purity as CO2, and the unique properties of ethanol as a solvent make it inherently more suited for extracting hemp, a plant with both aqueous and lipid components.

GVB’s proprietary cryogenic extraction process which uses cold ethanol means the winterization step is skipped altogether and only desirable parts of the plant are targeted on the initial extraction.

One of the worst-kept secrets of the hemp industry is that CO2 extraction uses solvents like ethanol or even hydrocarbons during the purification process. The initial extraction could be called “solventless,” but CO2 extract loses the right to this title the moment it’s exposed to additional substances.

How does ethanol extraction work?

1. Drying and grinding of raw biomass

2. Ethanol extraction: first run

3. Ethanol evaporation

4. Winterization/clarification with recovered ethanol: second run

5. Crude oil distillation

6. Distillate can then be rendered into crystalline isolate

Pros and cons of ethanol extraction as simply as possible, let’s state why GVB Biopharma chooses ethanol extraction:

Pros

1. Efficient

2. Sustainable

3. High-purity

4. Fewer steps – no winterization needed

Cons

1. Unwanted substances can also be extracted, but they’re easy to remove later. (GVB’s proprietary cryogenic extraction process mitigates this).

CO2 extraction

Compared to ethanol, CO2 sounds a lot more benign, and you’re partially right. CO2 is one of the building blocks of life, and the human body turns O2 into CO2 with every breath.

Matters may not be as simple as they appear, though. CO2 extraction methods are more expensive than ethanol extraction, and the results it delivers are not notably better.

How does CO2 extraction work?

1. Drying and grinding of raw biomass

2. CO2 extraction

3. Ethanol winterization/clarification

4. Crude oil distillation

5. Distillate can then be rendered into crystalline isolate

Pros and cons of CO2 extraction

To be fair, CO2 and ethanol are neck-and-neck when it comes to commercial viability. In the end, though, we’re confident that ethanol comes out ahead.

Pros

1. High purity

2. Associated with good quality due to marketing

Cons

1. Expensive

2. Wasteful

3. Marketing can be deceptive

4. Not truly “solventless” because the solvent is required for refining

5. Often still uses ethanol during one of the purification stages

*It should be noted that unrefined CO2 oil can be considered solventless, but because it contains fats and lipids, it is unusable in finished products and must be purified using a solvent like ethanol or hydrocarbons.

Hydrocarbon extraction

In hydrocarbon extraction, a hydrocarbon molecule such as butane or propane is exuded through biomass or other hemp plant matter to derive concentrated extract. Of all available hemp extraction methods, however, hydrocarbon extraction is the most dangerous both to extractors and consumers.

Why is hydrocarbon extraction still used, then? Only because it’s cheap.

How does hydrocarbon extraction work?

1. Drying and grinding of raw biomass

2. Hydrocarbon extraction

3. Solvent removal (semi-effective)

4. Ethanol winterization/clarification

5. Crude oil distillation

6. Distillate can then be rendered into crystalline isolate

Pros and cons of hydrocarbon extraction

How does hydrocarbon hemp extraction compare to ethanol or CO2? Not very favorably, we’re afraid.

Pros

1. Cheap

2. Time-honored

Cons

1. Dangerous

2. Volatile

3. Carcinogenic solvents are left behind in products

4. Extracts also often taste/look worse

CO2 extraction vs. ethanol extraction: detailed breakdown

In the end, there isn’t much bad we can say about CO2 as an extraction process. As a commercial enterprise, however, CO2 extraction pales in comparison to ethanol extraction without offering any significantly enhanced benefits.

At GVB Biopharma, it’s our goal to offer the highest quality products at the best prices. In pursuit of this overall ethos, we chose ethanol as our extraction process. Contrary to popular belief, ethanol is no less pure than CO2, and always remember: pretty much every company that says they extract with CO2 uses ethanol in their process.

1. Ethanol extraction is the most ethical option

2. It delivers the best results for the lowest prices

Can hemp extraction really be “solventless?”

Yes, there are hemp extracts that could be considered truly solventless, but CO2 extraction certainly is not one of them. If it isn’t ethanol, another type of solvent must be used during the CO2 distillate clarification process, making it impossible for CO2 extractors to have a completely solventless extraction method truly solventless.

Examples of truly solventless hemp extracts include bubble hash and heat rosin. Both methods can be considered cottage industries at best, though, and can’t hold a candle to commercial ethanol or CO2 output.

Why ethanol extraction is simplest, cleanest, & most sustainable

Ethanol hemp extraction has a few distinct benefits. First, it’s less expensive by far than CO2 extraction, passing on savings to brands and consumers. Next, you can extract both lipid (oil-based) and aqueous (water-based) substances with ethanol, allowing a wider spectrum of substances to be removed from cannabis.

This dual nature of ethanol extraction also makes it easier to clarify raw extract in further distillation phases. Closed-loop ethanol extraction is highly sustainable, and as a resource, ethanol is easier and less environmentally harmful to obtain than CO2.

Ethanol extraction: the purest available method

Ethanol evaporates in the atmosphere without leaving any residual solvents behind. As long as your ethanol extraction process is clean, you should derive clean results.

Acquiring, containing, and recapturing CO2 used for extraction is laborious and inefficient. Since CO2 extractors almost invariably use ethanol at some point in the process anyway, relying exclusively on CO2 for extraction is more for optics than it is in the pursuit of any practical agenda.

Ethanol vs. CO2 hemp extraction FAQs

1. Is CO2 extraction better than ethanol?

No, CO2 extraction is not necessarily superior to ethanol extraction. In the early days of the hemp industry, certain extractors used inferior ethanol extraction methods, giving the process itself a bad name. When done correctly, though, ethanol extraction can be just as clean while also retaining more of the plant than CO2 extraction.

Ethanol extraction is also inherently more cost-effective, allowing funds to be apportioned to better equipment instead of just trying to stay up to date with the latest CO2 extraction fads. Overall, ethanol extraction should be considered the superior process due to its economical and versatile benefits.

2. What is the best CBD extraction method?

Out of all the available options, ethanol extraction is generally considered to be the best overall CBD extraction method for both small-time and major extractors. Comparatively, both hydrocarbon and CO2 extraction have considerable issues. Hydrocarbon extraction is inherently dirty, for instance, making it very hard to ensure extracts made with this process are not contaminated.

CO2 extraction, for its part, is costly and labor-intensive while only potentially providing arguably superior results to ethanol extraction. While CO2 extraction is often touted as “solventless,” that’s an inaccurate claim given the fact that CO2 is itself a solvent. As long as ethanol extraction is done correctly, it can be just as clean as CO2 extraction.

3. Why is ethanol good for extraction?

Some of the major benefits of ethanol cannabinoid extraction include its cost-effectiveness and versatility. While CO2 extraction eliminates many of the cannabinoids and terpenes present in hemp extract, ethanol extraction can be calibrated to be much gentler, resulting in extracts that better preserve the hemp plant’s natural potential to provide the entourage effect.

Ethanol extraction equipment is far less specialized than CO2 extraction machinery, allowing producers to prioritize high-quality equipment over gimmicky, finicky machines that are ultimately rendered unnecessary by ethanol extraction being such a viable alternative. In the end, CO2 extraction is more hype than it is substance while ethanol extraction is exactly what it claims to be — a simple and cost-effective method for extracting cannabinoids.

4. Is CO2 extraction better?

No, there is no reason to believe CO2 cannabinoid extraction is inherently better. At best, CO2 extraction can perform some of the same functions as ethanol extraction, but at a much higher cost while damaging the hemp plant’s fragile compounds.

Sources

1. Bowen, J. K.; Chaparro, J. M.; McCorkle, A. M.; Palumbo, E.; Prenni, J. E. The Impact of Extraction Protocol on the Chemical Profile of Cannabis Extracts from a Single Cultivar. Scientific Reports 2021. 11, 21801. Retrieved from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-01378-0

2. Devi, V.; Khanam, S. Comparative Study of Different Extraction Processes for Hemp (Cannabis sativa) Seed Oil Considering Physical, Chemical and Industrial-scale Economic Aspects. Journal of Cleaner Production 2019, 207, 645-657. Retrieved from: https://aghealth.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Comparativestudyofdifferentextractionprocessesforhemp[2].pdf

3. Lazarjani, M. P.; Young, O.; Kebede, L; Seyfoddin. A.; Processing and Extraction Methods of Medicinal Cannabis: A Narrative Review. Journal of Cannabis Research 2021, 3(32). Retrieved from: https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-021-00087-9

4. Ruth, A.; Gryniewicx-Ruzicka, C.; Trehy, M.; Kornspan, N.;Coody, G.Consistency of Label Claims of Internet-Purchased Hemp Oil and Cannabis Products as Determined using IMS and LC-MS: A Marketplace Survey. Journal of Regulatory Science 2016, 03, 1-6. Retrieved from: https://journals.tdl.org/regsci/index.php/regsci/article/view/33

Trying to make heads or tails of a lab report for a raw cannabinoid product? In this video, you will learn how to read your COA and make sure your bulk cannabinoid material meets your expectations.

A COA, or certificate of analysis, is a document cannabinoid producers use to provide technical information on their products. Specifically, a COA verifies that the product you are purchasing conforms to your requirements and meets your needs as a consumer. COAs are certified by an independent labs or are prepared by the producers themselves.  Most certificates of analysis will contain specific details about the chemical analysis of a substance or in the case of cannabinoids, a profile.

Bulk cannabinoid ingredient COAs provide information on, at the very least, the type of sample tested and the sample’s cannabinoid profile. Let’s cover some of the forms of information your raw material cannabinoid COA should include:

Testing date

Check the date on your COA first. You usually shouldn’t purchase cannabinoid raw materials that are more than 12-18 months old. Cannabinoids may degrade with time and the active compounds will lose potency and efficacy.

Batch number 

The client batch number (or external batch number) is selected by the cannabinoid producer. You’ll need this important number to trace the batch associated with your test.

LOQ

In the testing industry, the limit of quantitation (LOQ) is the lowest threshold of a substance a test measures. Many CBD lab tests, for instance, set their THC LOQs at around 0.3% since that’s the federally designated THC cutoff for industrial hemp.

Total CBD % vs. total CBD mg/g 

Each cannabinoid present in the sample will be listed both as a percentage and as a total milligram sum. You can use this information to make sure your raw material contains the cannabinoid concentrations advertised.

For example, if a 1g sample of distilled CBD concentrate advertised as containing 75% CBD has a lab report pegging its CBD concentration at around 750mg per gram, then the advertised concentration is correct. However, if a CBD lab report advertises that a concentrate contains 75% CBD with a CBD concentration at 75 mg per gram, than the advertised concentration is incorrect.

Cannabinoid breakdown 

Make sure to check the concentrations of each minor cannabinoid. With the popularity of minor cannabinoids like CBG, CBN, and CBC on the rise, you can use this potency information to determine how strongly your finished product will express the attributes of each cannabinoid.

Calculating product formulations

Use the potency information listed on your report to start planning bulk cannabinoid product formulations. Simply determine how much CBD your product contains per kilo, and divide the total number of milligrams of CBD you wish to purchase by the number of CBD milligrams you want each finished product to contain to find out how many total products you can make. 

For instance, if you purchase one kilo of CBD Isolate and want to use it to formulate 500mg tinctures, you will be able to make roughly 2,000, 500mg tinctures from the single kilo of isolate.

Additional acronyms you may need to know:

PPM: stands for parts per million

PPB: stands for parts per billion

LOD: stands for “limit of detection” and is similar to the LOQ, but they are not exactly equivalent. The LOD is the lowest quantity of a substance that can be distinguished from the absence of that substance. The LOD and LOQ can differ according to what definition is used and what type of noise contributes to the measurement and calibration.

<LOQ: means that the analyte is below or less than the limit of quantitation.

California: may be specified on certain COAs. In California, the limit of quantitation may be above the limit of detection, meaning the analyte is detectable, but not necessarily higher than the LOQ.

ND: means not detected

NT: stands for not tested

Mg/g: is milligrams per gram. If you divide this number by 10 you get the percent concentration

Limit/action limit: This is the limit set by state regulators and can differ from state to state. If the COA shows a result above the Limit or Action Limit it represents a failing result.

We hope we’ve answered all your questions and concerns about raw material COAs. If you have any further inquiries about COAs, sourcing high-quality cannabinoids, or our white label services please book a call with one of our industry experts.

COA FAQs

1. What is in a COA?

COAs for hemp and cannabis products generally consist of a few important pieces of information regarding:

• The cannabinoid and terpene concentrations in the sample
• Concentrations of any contaminants that may be present
• A unique number used to identify the sample
• Photographs of additional identifying material

As we’ve covered in the guide above, a COA also includes a lot of other data that you’ll need to parse over to get a full idea of what’s in your product. Knowing the cannabinoid concentrations and how to identify the sample, though, is usually everything the average shopper is after.

2. How do you read a COA for CBD?

COAs for CBD and other cannabinoid products are generally designed to be easy to read with the most relevant information provided the most clearly in the largest print. An average COA for CBD distillate, for instance, will feature the CBD concentrations front and center — in both milligrams and percentile. If you have any questions about how to read a COA, contact the laboratory that issued it.

3. How can you tell if CBD is high-quality?

Referencing a COA is the easiest and most reliable way to establish the potency and safety of a CBD product — in other words, its quality. Simply making COAs easy to find is a step in the right direction, and the lab report itself should check all the boxes.

4. How do you know if a COA is real?

The easiest way to establish the authenticity of a COA is to contact the issuing lab. If there is no lab listed on the COA, that’s an instant red flag.

Wondering how to read the COA (certificate of analysis) for a white-label cannabinoid product? In this video, you will learn everything you need to know about finding information in a certificate of analysis in under 5 minutes.

White-label cannabinoid product COAs provide information on, at the very least, the type of sample tested and the sample’s cannabinoid profile. Let’s cover some of the forms of information your white-label cannabinoid COA should include:

Sample number

Also known as the lab batch number, the sample number assigned by the lab helps ensure you have the right COA for your product.

Batch number

The client batch number (or external batch number) is selected by the cannabinoid producer. You’ll need this important number to trace the batch associated with your test.

Cannabinoid concentrations

Each cannabinoid present in the sample will be listed both as a percentage and as a total milligram sum. You can use this information to make sure your white label product contains the cannabinoid concentrations advertised.

If a 1oz CBD tincture advertised as containing 1000mg CBD has a lab report pegging its CBD concentration at around 35mg per gram, then the advertised concentration is correct.

To do the math, divide the total number of milligrams by the volume of your formulation converted to grams.

Limit of quantitation (LOQ)

In the testing industry, the limit of quantitation (LOQ) is the lowest threshold of a substance a test measures. Many CBD lab tests, for instance, set their THC LOQs at around 0.3% since that’s the federally designated THC cutoff for industrial hemp.

Terpene and residual pesticide information 

If applicable, your white label cannabinoid product COA might have information about terpene concentrations and provide results from pesticide and residual solvent screens. Otherwise, this information will be provided with the COA for the raw material used to make the white label product.

Depending on the COA, there may also be data on heavy metals, moisture content, genetics, flavonoids, or even synthetic cannabinoid concentrations. Look for a QR code you can scan on the COA for more information.

Additional acronyms you may need to know:

PPM: stands for parts per million, which is essentially used to describe a very small quantity in a very large quantity

PPB: is parts per billion, which is another form of measurement used to describe a small quantity in an even larger quantity.

LOD: stands for Limit of detection and is similar to the LOQ (limit of quantification), but they aren’t always the same. Both describe the lowest concentration of a substance r that can reliably be detected by an analytical instrument or procedure.  The LOD is the lowest quantity of a substance that can be distinguished from the absence of that substance.  If the substance that is analyzed is too low to be detected, then it essentially gets lost in the “noise”. Because of this,  a limit is set for the detection of the substance that is higher than the signals that fall into the noise section of the analysis. The LOD and LOQ can differ according to what definition is used and what type of noise contributes to the measurement and calibration.¹

<LOQ: means that the analyte is below the limit of quantitation. Remember that the LOQ refers to the lowest concentration at which a substance can not only be reliably detected by also at which certain predefined goals for bias and imprecision are met.

California: may be specified on certain COAs, and means that even though it is below the limit of quantitation, it may be above the limit of detection, meaning the analyte is detectable, but not necessarily higher than the LOQ.

ND: means not detected

NT: stands for not tested

mg/g: is milligrams per gram. If you divide this number by 10 you get the percent concentration

Limit / Action Limit: This is the limit set by state regulators and can differ from state to state. According to FDA policies, action limits or action levels are the minimum or maximum values of a a quality assurance measurement that define if a product represents an acceptable performance with regards to the parameter being tested.² If the COA shows a result above the Limit or Action Limit it represents a failing result as standards are not met.

We hope we’ve answered all your questions and concerns about finished product COAs. If you have any further inquiries about COAs, sourcing high-quality cannabinoids, or our white label services, please book a call with one of our industry experts!

Private label cannabinoid product COA FAQ

Learn more about white-label hemp COAs below:

1. How do you read a COA?

Most COAs follow the same basic format featuring a sample number or ID followed by a variety of sets of data including:

• Cannabinoid potency
• Terpene concentrations
• Pesticide and contaminant concentrations

In many cases, all of this information is provided on a single page. Complex COAs featuring many different data sets, though, often span multiple pages of PDF documents. If you have any questions regarding how to read a particular COA, contact the issuing lab or the brand that produced the product.

2. Why is a COA important for CBD?

COAs must be provided with CBD products to provide customers assurance regarding the quality and safety of the products they are considering purchasing. Whether these customers are individual consumers or large corporate entities, COAs are equally useful given the currently lax regulatory climate surrounding CBD.

Without COAs, customers would have no way of ascertaining the safety and quality of CBD products without conducting their own tests. Providing COAs both saves customers money and helps them trust that the products they’re buying are safe.

3. How do you know if a COA is real?

It is very rare for brands to fake COAs. If you have any concerns regarding the validity of a COA, however, the best option is to check in with the lab that issued it. The lab’s logo and contact information should be provided somewhere within the document. If it is difficult to find information on the issuing lab within a COA, that’s certainly cause for concern.

4. What should a COA include?

A complete COA should feature information including the names of the brand and the lab, the identifier of the sample in question, its cannabinoid content, and its contaminant content. Any additional information is useful but not strictly necessary.

Sources:

1. Ambruster, D. A.; Pry, T. Limit of Blank, Limit of Detection, and Limit of Quantification. Clinical Biochemical Reviews  2008. 29(suppl 1): S49-S52. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 

2. FDA. Action Limits or Action Levels (Definition). Retrieved from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov